Total pages in book: 86
Estimated words: 83248 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 416(@200wpm)___ 333(@250wpm)___ 277(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 83248 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 416(@200wpm)___ 333(@250wpm)___ 277(@300wpm)
But then her shoulders jerk, and I engulf her in a tight embrace.
“I’m so sorry,” I apologize again.
Rosie shakes her head, and her voice is muffled and raw as she cries, “I’m overwhelmed, and as I was about to doze off, I remembered everything that happened, and then I couldn’t stop thinking about the prison and the hackers and the dead and the shit I saw on the monitors, and now I’m just spiraling and need you.”
Fucking hell, she’s just skimmed over the tip of the iceberg that’s her trauma, and it hurts like a bitch. I know it’s going to break me once she tells me everything.
“I’m here,” I assure her. “In whatever way you need me.”
Her cries turn into something I’ve never heard before, sounding wounded and filled with despair.
Rosie has never been one to cry easily, so seeing her this fucking distressed rips my heart clear out of my chest.
Bending, I pick her up before rushing to the living room. I sit down and cradle her on my lap, holding her as tight as I can while rocking her.
“I’m here, bella mia,” I murmur gently. “Take all the time you need.”
Rosie’s fingers curl into my shirt, and by the time she starts regaining control over her emotions, she looks fucking exhausted.
Just like during the trip home, her eyes flutter shut and her breaths even out.
She might not be ready to hear I love her, but the fact that she can’t sleep unless I’m nearby tells me a lot.
I gently wipe the tears from her cheeks before I adjust our position so we’re lying down together on the couch.
Rosie snuggles closer and presses her face against my neck, then lets out a relieved sigh.
“I’ve got you,” I whisper while brushing my hand over her hair. “Sleep, bella mia.”
Her body relaxes against mine, but I notice she’s still gripping my shirt tightly in her fist. The moment I place my hand over hers, her grip eases and her fingers curl around mine.
Only then do I notice her nails have been bitten, which is something Rosie never did before.
I brush my thumb over the marks left on her wrists from where I’m guessing they restrained her.
Don’t lose your shit, Enzo. You can do that when you’re torturing those fuckers. Right now, focus on Rosie.
Pressing a kiss to her hair, I close my eyes, taking a moment to relish the fact that I have Rosie living with me.
Even if this is all I get, I’ll be happy as long as she’s with me.
I take a breath of her, and when she smells like me, it eases some of the tension in my chest.
Unfortunately, she only naps for thirty minutes or so before I feel her breathing change. Even though I feel her lashes flutter against my throat, I continue to hold her, adamant that she has to be the first to pull away.
More minutes pass, then she whispers, “I pressed the button when Kirill grabbed hold of me because I couldn’t risk any of you being compromised or in danger. As the bomb began to detonate, he forced me into a modified SUV, so I think they knew about the bombs.”
Her breath fans over my skin, and she pulls her hand from beneath mine before placing her arm around my side and holding me as tight as she can.
“Did you get hurt during the blasts?” I ask, my tone as soft as I can make it.
Rosie shakes her head, then rests her cheek against my chest.
“But watching my life’s work crumble like that was… it hurt so much.”
I press a kiss to her hair and rub my hand up and down her back. “Once you’re ready, and it’s what you want, we’ll build you a new server room.” Wanting her to stay on track and not derail and think of work, I ask, “What happened then?”
“Kirill chloroformed the hell out of me. I don’t remember anything after that until I woke up in the cell.”
Just hearing she was kept in a cage like some fucking animal makes the urge to kill Danil and Yegor rocket through me.
I force my thirst for vengeance down and focus on Rosie.
“I was shackled.” Her voice cracks. “Both my wrists were cuffed in front of me, and there was a chain between them, enough for me to move, but not enough to feel like my hands were mine anymore.” Her arm tightens around my side, and I feel her fingers grip my shirt. “My ankles were shackled too, close enough together that I was only able to take short steps.” Rosie curls as close to me as she can get. “They only took them off when I was in my cell.”
I clench my jaw as my anger becomes a living force, making my body shudder.
“Kirill took me down to where the hackers were and explained the team kept me busy while the Bratva slipped into New York so I wouldn’t notice.”